On sunny days in the summer many people frequently go to beaches or just spend time outdoors in lounge chairs while resting, relaxing, or reading. It is known, however, that long exposure to direct sun rays is dangerous because it may develop skin cancer. In addition, it is difficult and unhealthy to read under direct sun rays, and, therefore, on hot and sunny days some people prefer to use sun-protective covers or blinds. Many public and private beaches are equipped with beach chairs that are not always equipped with sun shades or blinds.
Heretofore, many proposals have been made aimed at providing beach chairs with sun-protective means. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,281 issued in 1992 to E. Pappalardo, relates to chair sun shades, especially to chair sun shades that are collapsible and detachable from the frame, made of a disposable, replaceable, and imprintable type of material. The device consists of two plastic strips attached by their base ends to the vertical frame supports on the back of a chair with hook-and-loop fastener strips known under the Velcro trademark. The strips, which are flexible, support a sun-shade material, e.g., a fabric or a plastic film. Connected to the distal ends of the plastic strips are cords. When the opposite ends of the cords are attached to the back of the seat, the plastic films are bent in such a manner that they form an arch-shaped canopy above the chair seat and hence above the chair's occupant. A disadvantage of the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,281 is that the sun-shading attachment normally is not permanently attached to the chair and can be separated from the chair and stored in a different place or misplaced and not always found when needed. U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,187 issued in 2001 to L. Izzo discloses an adjustable umbrella apparatus comprising an umbrella with a canopy and a rod. A connector is attached to the rod and has a pair of prongs extending therefrom. The connector is disposed within a channel formed in an umbrella base. The connector prongs are spring-loaded relative to the connector body within the channel and, when released, the prongs are urged through corresponding lock holes to retain the umbrella in a desired position relative to the umbrella base. When the spring-loaded prongs are compressed, the connector may be slid within the channel longitudinally or rotatably relative to the longitudinal axis of the channel. In this manner, the umbrella can be adjusted longitudinally and rotatably to a chosen orientation and held securely in place in that chosen orientation. The umbrella base is formed integral with or attachable to a framed chair such as a beach chair. The umbrella of U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,187 entails the same disadvantages as the device of the previous U.S. patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,048,333 issued in 2006 to R. Martinez discloses a collapsible sun shade adapted to be used with a chair. The shade is made of spring steel or equivalent material and is adapted to be affixed to cover the seat portion of a lounge chair. The shade is unfolded under the force of the compressed spring and attached to the chair to provide shade over the seat of the chair. A disadvantage of the device of this patent is that the flexible sheet, irrespective of whether it is made of metal or plastic, cannot be folded and occupies a large area in storage. The sheet has to be sufficiently large in order to be above the head of the chair's occupant when used. Furthermore, the flexible sheet is normally separated from the chair and can be misplaced in storage.
Thus, a common disadvantage of known sun-shading devices intended for use in conjunction with a chair is that these devices are relatively large in size, do not constitute an integral part of the chair, and require additional space for storage.